Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Welcome to the Health and Fitness Blog! If you are coming here from "Little Things in Life" As promised... Here is a photo of me doing a back bend. DD took this of me yesterday. And boy do I look like I have been a Miss Piggy the past month!!! It comes off fast when I get back on my routines.

Yep, I will be 50 in 17(?) days and I can still do a back bend. It is all of God.I could not do any of this stuff myself!

I started this back bend from the floor. I do not do them from standing positions. Now for my DISCLAIMER & WARNING... I am a fit person. I am very flexible. I did this as a youth. Your muscles have a memory. If you did a back bend as a youth, chances are, with some exercise and a little work, you will be able to do this as well. Your arms and shoulders must be strong enough to hold up your body. Also, a good strong back is a must. In other words... DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. :-)

A Swiss Ball is great to start out on. It supports your body, stretches the abs. Most people cannot get the extension you see me doing here. I love doing this stretch after doing a routine of what my class participants call 'Nauseous Abs'.

Please scroll down to the previous post and share your 2009 Lifestyle/Fitness/Diet goals. There is a poll in the left side bar I would like you to participate in as well.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Before we look at setting those goals, let us first look at the two Healthy Food Choices I-Q Questions I asked on Saturday.

Butter or Margarine (Or other butter type substitute)?

Eggs or Egg Beaters (egg whites or egg white substitutes.)

As Geri posted in the commit section, the answer to the first question is "Butter"! Are you surprised? Our bodies can metabolize butter. It cannot metabolize margarine or other butter type substitutes. And becomes what we now call 'trans-fats'. That being said, we need to use butter wisely, not a whole stick when a little dab will do. Learn to eat your bread and potatoes without butter. That is better for you in the long run.

Certainly Eggs (whole eggs or fresh egg whites) instead of Egg Beaters or Egg White Substitutes. I have to have yellow in my eggs (I am guilty of buying Egg Beaters...) and a good alternative is to have one egg yoke to every 4 egg whites. Gives a little 'yellow' to your eggs.

Whole eggs get a bad rap! There are Omega 3's in the yoke. It is OK to eat the yoke. I am a weight lifter and have to eat a good deal of protein to repair/build muscle. 4 egg yokes is too much fat, but one yoke w/ 4 whites is just what I need. Add some tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms... oh yum! What a meal! A dish of fruit on the side.

Another thing I will do with eggs... I will boil 6-12 and they will keep up to a week in the fridge, if they last that long. Of course, they never do at my house. Great for a quick healthy snack, lunch boxes, salad toppings, etc. It is time for you to set those goals and make a plan!What "Healthy Changes" do you want to make this year. I like to encourage people to set goals to change dress sizes and not weight loss. Your goal should be to lose inches and exercise 'x' times a week. The weight will come off as a side effect of living a healthier lifestyle.

During the next couple of days, post what goals you would like to set for yourself. Include any questions you might have as well. We can discuss them in the next few days.

"I Can Do All Things....

....through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

And you can too!

Yes, I know it is out of context. Athletes use this verse a lot. There have been times in my life when I have hung on to this verse for various reasons. Whatever situation you are in, reach out to Him, Jesus Christ. It is He who picks us up and carries us when we cannot walk. It is in Him who we get our strength. Through Him, we can do all things.

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